CIA assessment: Iran can sustain US blockade for months

A classified CIA assessment concludes that Iran can sustain the US blockade for three to four more months, undermining the narrative that Tehran requires an immediate end to hostilities. According to the confidential report, Iran's resilience comes from storing oil in floating tankers, managing oil field production, and potentially smuggling crude through overland routes. US intelligence estimates Iran retains approximately 70 percent of its pre-war missile stockpiles and 75 percent of mobile launchers, a figure Tehran disputes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US President Donald Trump of choosing "reckless military adventure" over diplomacy, asserting that Iran would not yield to external pressure. Araghchi claimed Iran's military capacity stands at 120 percent of pre-war levels, contradicting both the CIA assessment and Trump's statement that Iranian military strength has been "mostly decimated" to 18 to 19 percent. He emphasized that Iranians "never bow to pressure and diplomacy is always the victim." Iran is currently reviewing a US-backed proposal that includes a pause on nuclear enrichment, sanctions relief, and negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington expects Iran's formal response to its proposal by Friday, expressing hope it leads to serious negotiations. Meanwhile, the UAE Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and three drones launched from Iran on Thursday, leaving three people moderately injured in the latest escalation. Rubio defended US retaliatory strikes on Iranian military facilities as "defensive actions" separate from the previously completed Operation Epic Fury. The White House maintains the blockade continues inflicting "real, compounding damage," with a spokesperson stating Iran loses approximately $500 million in daily revenue. <article id="0"/><article id="1"/><article id="2"/>